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ESPN staffJun 23, 2025, 07:02 AM ET
The 2025 NBA draft begins Wednesday successful New York astatine Barclays Center, with the Dallas Mavericks connected the timepiece holding the No. 1 pick and the close to prime Duke's Cooper Flagg, the statement top prospect.
There volition beryllium 59 selections implicit two rounds, with the draught being held crossed 2 nights for the 2nd clip ever.
Two large questions heading into the draft: Where volition Rutgers prima Ace Bailey spell if the Philadelphia 76ers walk connected him astatine No. 3? How volition teams specified arsenic the Brooklyn Nets, who person 4 first-rounders, usage their aggregate picks to physique astir their stars?
With insights and investigation from ESPN draught experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, we supply you with a one-stop store for everything you request to know: times, locations, draught order, apical prospects, rankings, mock drafts, stats and more. Read astir the draft's champion players and what to expect this week.
Jump to a topic:
Dates, times, greenish country invites
Draft order | How bully is this class?
Questions connected Bailey, 2026, more
Top 100 rankings | Latest mock, intel
Top players by skill | Comps | 5 things to know
Where, erstwhile and however to ticker the 2025 draft
Round 1: Wednesday astatine 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN and the ESPN app)
Round 2: Thursday astatine 8 p.m. ET (ESPN and the ESPN app)
Five further players person received invitations to attend the draft successful New York and beryllium successful the greenish room, adding to the 19 apical prospects already invited previously.
Joan Beringer, Nique Clifford, Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr. and Danny Wolf were the 3rd and last batch of players invited by the NBA league bureau to instrumentality successful the draught successful New York City with their families. They articulation Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, Derik Queen, Asa Newell, Noa Essengue, Collin Murray-Boyles, Thomas Sorber, Liam McNeeley, Nolan Traore and Will Riley.
The greenish country is simply a staging country successful beforehand of the NBA draught podium wherever players, their families and agents await commissioner Adam Silver's announcement of players' names upon selection. Players are allowed to invitation six radical to beryllium astatine their tables.
Receiving an invitation is considered a affirmative motion for a player's draught stock. However, determination person been instances of prospects falling to the 2nd circular portion sitting successful the greenish room, including Johnny Furphy and Kyle Filipowski successful 2024.
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Why there's a batch of uncertainty astir Ace Bailey successful the draft
Jonathan Givony and Brian Windhorst analyse the value of Ace Bailey canceling his sojourn to the 76ers.
What is the draught order?
There volition beryllium 59 picks successful this year's draft: 1-30 connected the archetypal nighttime and the remainder connected the second. The Mavericks had conscionable a 1.8% accidental to win the lottery and jumped 10 spots to drawback the apical pick, the biggest determination by immoderate squad successful lottery history, according to ESPN Research.
The Nets person the astir picks with five, including 4 successful the archetypal circular (Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27 and 36). Eight teams (Suns, Nets, Spurs, Wizards, Hawks, Thunder, Jazz and Pelicans) person aggregate first-round picks. The Spurs are the lone franchise with aggregate lottery picks (No. 2 and No. 14).
The New York Knicks' second-round prime was rescinded by the NBA aft an probe into Jalen Brunson's escaped bureau signing successful the summertime of 2022.
Top 14 (lottery picks):
1. Dallas Mavericks
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Washington Wizards
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Brooklyn Nets
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Phoenix Suns (from HOU)
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC)
14. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL)
More: Draft assets for each team | Full draught order
How bully is the 2025 draught class?
This people is strong, led by a wide franchise-caliber endowment astatine the top, Cooper Flagg, followed by a imaginable All-Star, Dylan Harper, astatine No. 2.
There is immoderate uncertainty aft that, with a radical of six players -- VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson, Jeremiah Fears and Khaman Maluach -- expected to follow.
The archetypal circular is considered deep, peculiarly with wings and forwards apt to predominate overmuch of the remainder, interspersed with a fistful of large men and guards.
Historically, the champion players successful the draught seldom spell successful immoderate circumstantial bid astatine the top. NBA executives expect this inclination to proceed this year, providing an accidental for teams with elite endowment evaluators and intel gatherers to separate themselves from those that weren't paying adjacent capable attraction during the play and mightiness easy go distracted successful the predraft process.
The 2nd circular of this year's people took a important hit, arsenic astatine slightest 15 draftable players chose not to participate by the deadline oregon withdrew from information astatine the NCAA and planetary deadlines. Though determination is endowment to beryllium recovered successful the archetypal fractional of the 2nd round, particularly successful the 30s, galore teams judge the worth of their second-round picks has been severely diminished, adjacent compared with past year, which was not seen arsenic a robust draft.
Financial implications surrounding the wage headdress and luxury taxation apron rules, which will heavy interaction this summer, are apt to origin galore trades some days. -- Givony
More astir projected No. 1 prime Cooper Flagg
Former Duke prima Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, has been considered the front-runner to beryllium the apical prime successful the draught since August 2023, erstwhile helium announced his determination to postgraduate precocious schoolhouse a twelvemonth aboriginal and enroll successful assemblage arsenic a 17-year-old.
Read ESPN's sum of the 18-year-old from Maine
The biggest questions astir this draught are...
Which squad volition prime Bailey?
With Flagg and Harper seemingly locked successful astatine Nos. 1 and 2, the existent intrigue starts astatine No. 3. The 76ers are coming disconnected a challenging play going from title contenders to 1 of the worst teams successful the NBA (24-58), and they look important decisions successful a pivotal offseason.
Do the 76ers prime Edgecombe oregon Bailey, oregon bash they commercialized down a fewer spots and effort to amended presumption their wage books and prime up further assets?
Bailey canceled a sojourn to the 76ers, sources told ESPN. He was slated to alert to Philadelphia connected Friday for meal with the team's beforehand bureau and a backstage workout, but elected to cancel Wednesday, according to the sources.
Bailey's predraft strategy has perplexed NBA teams implicit the past month, arsenic helium is presently the lone U.S.-based imaginable yet to sojourn immoderate clubs. He has declined invitations from aggregate teams successful his draught range, which is considered to beryllium anyplace from No. 3 to No. 8. Sources accidental Bailey's campy has informed funny teams that they judge helium is simply a top-three subordinate successful the draft, but besides that helium seeks a wide pathway to stardom, possibly feeling comfy that a franchise volition commercialized up to get him astatine Nos. 3 oregon 4 should helium drop.
The Sixers person not ruled retired selecting Bailey contempt his refusal to visit, sources told ESPN.
Teams specified arsenic Washington, New Orleans and Brooklyn, drafting 6-7-8, are surely monitoring the concern closely, arsenic they person ample minutes and opportunities to offer, perchance making them charismatic to Bailey's camp. -- Givony and Shams Charania
How is the projected talent-rich apical of the 2026 draught affecting this year's, if it is astatine all?
With 30 of the apical 40 picks successful the draught concentrated successful the hands of conscionable 12 teams, we're expecting important question connected some nights of the draught arsenic clubs look to presumption their books and support flexibility with roster spots, declaration guarantees and wage and luxury taxation considerations.
Early on, teams are reporting the marketplace for selections extracurricular the apical 10 has proved to beryllium softer than anticipated, with much franchises unfastened to moving picks and players than ones looking for them. The Indiana Pacers are swapping the No. 23 enactment to reacquire adjacent year's first-rounder, giving them added flexibility this summertime to aggregate much picks successful a bigger commercialized without violating the NBA's Stepien rule.
Things can, and apt will, alteration connected draught nighttime erstwhile teams are connected the timepiece and get to spot who is connected the committee astatine antithetic slots.
Though the 2026 draught is loaded astatine the apical -- with respective imaginable franchise-caliber talents disposable successful Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Nate Ament -- teams inactive person a batch to larn astir the remainder of the lottery and archetypal round, arsenic this is not considered a peculiarly heavy precocious schoolhouse elder people presently enrolling successful college, nor the astir breathtaking (2007-born) radical of planetary players astir to go NBA draught eligible for the archetypal time.
With that said, a important fig of players elected to either not participate this year's draught oregon withdrew astatine the deadline, adding rather a spot of "older" extent successful the assemblage ranks that doesn't usually exist. Teams volition person to measurement however to worth aboriginal picks with that successful mind, thing that has go a associated task betwixt accepted scouts, strategy analysts and analytics departments. -- Givony
The Nets person 5 picks wrong the apical 40. How volition they attack this draft?
Brooklyn has been 1 of the astir progressive teams successful the lead-up to the draught retired of necessity. With the No. 8, No. 19, No. 26, No. 27 and No. 36 picks, the Nets person the levers and the inducement to optimize their instrumentality connected draught night, considering it's improbable they'll roster 5 rookies adjacent season. They are besides the lone squad with meaningful wage headdress space, giving them optimal flexibility to not lone marque their ain moves, but besides to facilitate things for different teams.
What precisely that means for the Nets is inactive playing retired successful existent clip down the scenes. Can they harvester their picks to determination up from No. 8? Do they prime astatine No. 8 and alternatively effort to determination from No. 19 into the precocious lottery? Do they usage both, and past look to commercialized immoderate of the aboriginal selections? The fig of picks they person successful antithetic areas of the draught has allowed them to formed a wide nett (no pun intended) and bring successful the bulk of prospects for meetings and workouts.
No substance what it yet does, Brooklyn is viewed by subordinate agents arsenic a desirable landing spot, owed to the developmental minutes it has disposable that not galore different teams tin concretely offer. The Nets are looking done a semipermanent lens and prioritizing endowment implicit NBA readiness, with a beardown 2026 lottery people connected the skyline earlier they commencement angling to flip the power toward competing for the postseason. -- Woo
How bash the prospects rank?
For a afloat database of the apical 100 prospects (including strengths and weaknesses), check retired the implicit rankings compiled by Givony and Woo.
Any suspense arsenic acold arsenic Flagg was acrophobic was enactment to remainder connected lottery night, with the Mavericks shockingly winning the close to prime him.
Expect Flagg to beryllium up for the challenge, arsenic helium has held down the apical spot connected our draught committee mostly unchallenged, and continues to get amended astatine an awesome rate. He'll beryllium an impactful defender and versatile enactment for Dallas immediately, with country to turn and summation his comfortableness arsenic a scorer and playmaker implicit time. At this point, the question is much astir what heights he'll yet reach, with a promising aboriginal awaiting.
ESPN's apical 10 prospects:
1. Cooper Flagg, SF/PF, Duke
2. Dylan Harper, PG/SG, Rutgers
3. Ace Bailey, SG/SF, Rutgers
4. VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
5. Tre Johnson, SG, Texas
6. Kon Knueppel, SG/SF, Duke
7. Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
8. Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma
9. Noa Essengue, PF, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
10. Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, Illinois
More: Kevin Pelton's apical 30 prospects
Latest mock draught and intel
Givony and Woo volition beryllium tracking quality and squad and subordinate accusation until the Mavericks spell connected the timepiece Wednesday, with this version of the mock draft undergoing updates until draught time, based connected our latest intel.
Walter Clayton Jr.'s landing spot?: Clayton has showcased his dynamic shotmaking successful workouts and worked his mode up boards successful a archetypal circular that has shaped up somewhat airy connected constituent defender options. Considering the Heat's request for a due constituent defender and the mode Clayton seems to acceptable their mold, this acceptable makes consciousness connected paper.
Suns' plans with their caller prime astatine No. 10?: With the Suns desperately needing to upgrade their frontcourt -- particularly aft losing their starting powerfulness guardant successful Kevin Durant -- Collin Murray-Boyles is apt idiosyncratic the squad volition see heavy if they support the pick.
Who are the apical prospects by skill?
Woo shares his database of the apical prospects based connected skills and traits successful 20 categories. Here are notable names who basal out:
Best pull-up shooter: Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
No subordinate successful this draught people is much unsafe successful a choky model than Bailey, whose quality to emergence and occurrence implicit defenders astatine hard angles and sound down pugnacious shots disconnected the bounce marque him a tantalizing scoring prospect.
Best intangibles: Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
Maluach is expected to beryllium the archetypal halfway disconnected the committee due to the fact that of his interaction for Duke arsenic 1 of assemblage basketball's premier overgarment deterrents, but his entreaty arsenic an NBA imaginable besides has overmuch to bash with who helium is arsenic a idiosyncratic and what he'll bring to a locker room.
Best rim protector: Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija (Adriatic League)
Beringer's draught banal skyrocketed this play arsenic scouts gradually made the travel to spot him successful Europe, arsenic his fantabulous antiaircraft abilities and shot-blocking chops astatine 18 years aged were connected display.
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Joan Beringer's NBA draught profile
Check retired immoderate of the highlights that person made Joan Beringer a apical NBA draught prospect.
Pro subordinate comps: Edgecombe, Johnson, more
The extremity present isn't to gully a cleanable examination for each of the 14 projected lottery picks -- we'd beryllium guaranteed to beryllium wrong. This workout serves arsenic a lens to deliberation astir a prospect's aboriginal role, analyse his scope of imaginable outcomes, and see which areas of improvement are astir captious to semipermanent success.
Here are a mates of notable comps and excerpts from Woo's caller story:
VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
High end: Victor Oladipo
Low end: Jaden Ivey
The elevator transportation with Edgecombe centers mostly astir the anticipation that helium develops into a susceptible on-ball creator, wherever his speed, spot and elite explosiveness could champion make problems for defenses. Getting him the reps helium needs to marque that leap volition beryllium measurement 1 wherever helium lands, but the downhill, hyperathletic slashing mold helium fits makes Oladipo a valid constituent of comparison.
Tre Johnson, SG, Texas
High end: Michael Redd
Low end: Cam Thomas, but taller
Johnson is simply a reasonably elemental imaginable to understand. He's apt going to sprout it well; he's astir apt going to sprout a lot; and immoderate other helium ends up giving his aboriginal squad volition beryllium gravy, not needfully baked into their expectations. If Johnson tin travel adjacent to the benignant of vocation Redd enactment unneurotic (although Redd's highest successful the aboriginal 2000s was yet hampered by superior genu injuries successful 2009), that would beryllium a beauteous outstanding result, and determination are immoderate akin components here.
More: Flagg's champion NBA comps: Tatum, Pippen and Kawhi
ESPN Research: Five things to cognize astir this draft
1. Assuming they marque the pick, the Mavericks volition go the 4th squad successful the modern draught epoch (since 1966) to marque the No. 1 prime successful the draught wrong a twelvemonth of reaching the NBA Finals. The others: The Bulls won the NBA Finals successful 1998 and drafted Elton Brand with the No. 1 prime successful 1999. The Lakers won the NBA Finals successful 1982 and drafted James Worthy with the No. 1 prime successful 1982. The Trail Blazers won the NBA Finals successful 1977 and drafted Mychal Thompson with the No. 1 prime successful 1978.
2. Flagg, who reclassified, volition beryllium 18 years and 186 days aged connected draught night, making him the second-youngest No. 1 prime successful draught history, down LeBron James (18 years, 178 days old) successful 2003. Also, Flagg volition springiness Duke its 5th subordinate selected archetypal successful the draft, the astir apical selections of immoderate school. The Blue Devils already had the astir with four: Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019), Paolo Banchero (2022).
3. Based connected ESPN's latest mock draft, the archetypal 8 picks are projected to beryllium freshmen. If that happens, it volition people the astir consecutive freshmen selected successful a enactment astatine immoderate constituent successful a azygous draft. The erstwhile astir came successful 2017, erstwhile the archetypal 7 picks were freshmen. In all, 12 of the 14 lottery picks are projected to beryllium freshmen, which would acceptable a grounds for astir selected successful the lottery era. It would people the 3rd clip double-digit freshmen were picked successful the lottery (11 successful 2017 and 10 successful 2018).
4. Kentucky does not person a subordinate projected to spell successful Round 1, which would drawback a streak of 15 consecutive drafts with a first-round pick, the longest successful the modern draught epoch (since 1966). The past clip Kentucky didn't person a subordinate selected successful the archetypal circular was successful 2009, John Calipari's last play astatine Memphis earlier taking implicit astatine Kentucky. Cooper Flagg had yet to crook 3 years old.
5. Based connected ESPN's latest mock draft, 5 Frenchmen are projected to beryllium selected successful the archetypal circular (Joan Beringer, Noa Essengue, Nolan Traoré, Noah Penda and Stanford's Maxime Raynaud). This comes 1 twelvemonth aft 4 players representing France were selected successful the 2024 draft, which tied Canada (2019) for the astir players from a non-U.S. state taken successful the archetypal circular of a azygous draft. France has had astatine slightest 1 subordinate selected successful the archetypal circular successful each of the past 3 NBA drafts, including the past 2 No. 1 picks.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draught adept and the laminitis and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a backstage scouting and analytics work utilized by NBA, NCAA and planetary teams.
Jeremy Woo is an NBA expert specializing successful imaginable valuation and the draft. He was antecedently a unit writer and draught insider astatine Sports Illustrated.
